Conventional articles of footwear, e.g., like the athletic footwear structure 100 shown in FIG. 1, have included two primary elements, namely an upper member 102 and a sole member or structure 104. The upper member 102 and the sole member 104, at least in part, define a foot-receiving chamber that may be accessed through opening 106. The upper member 102 provides a covering for the foot that securely receives and positions the foot with respect to the sole structure 104. In addition, the upper member 102 may have a configuration that protects the foot and provides ventilation, thereby cooling the foot and removing perspiration. The sole structure 104 generally is secured to a lower portion of the upper member 102 and generally is positioned between the foot and the ground (the term “ground,” as used herein, includes any foot or footwear contact surface, including but not limited to: grass, dirt, snow, ice, tile, flooring, carpeting, synthetic grass, and the like). In addition to attenuating ground reaction forces, the sole structure 104 may provide traction and help control foot motion, such as pronation. Accordingly, the upper member 102 and the sole structure 104 operate cooperatively to provide a comfortable structure that is suited for a variety of ambulatory activities, such as walking and running.
The sole member or structure 104 of athletic footwear, in at least some instances, will exhibit a layered configuration that includes a comfort-enhancing insole (not shown in FIG. 1), a resilient midsole 108 (e.g., formed, at least in part, from a polymer foam material), and a ground-contacting outsole 110 that provides both abrasion-resistance and traction. The midsole 108, in at least some instances, will be the primary sole structure element that attenuates ground reaction forces and controls foot motion. Suitable polymer foam materials for at least portions of the midsole 108 include ethylvinylacetate (“EVA”) or polyurethane (“PU”) that compress resiliently under an applied load to attenuate ground reaction forces. Conventional polymer foam materials are resiliently compressible, in part, due to the inclusion of a plurality of open or closed cells that define an inner volume substantially displaced by gas. In some example structures, as shown in FIG. 1, the midsole 108 may be of an open structure, such that columns of impact-attenuating elements 108a are exposed and visible in the final footwear product structure 100. Indeed, in this illustrated athletic footwear structure 100, one can see completely through the midsole structure 108 to the opposite side of the athletic footwear structure 100 and beyond.
The upper member 102 and sole structure 104 in conventional footwear products are joined to one another in various different ways, such as using cements or adhesives, stitching or sewing, mechanical connectors, fusing techniques, or the like. While such conventional connection processes are sufficient in many shoe constructions, some users or specific uses potentially could benefit from added support provided between the sole structure 104 and other portions of the footwear product 100. For example, some footwear users participate in events or exercise programs that require frequent direction changes, often at high speeds. Such direction changes typically require the athlete to solidly plant and then push off one foot in a sideways direction, at times with some amount of twisting or spinning action. These lateral movements and actions tend to place substantial sheer stress on the footwear structure 100, particularly at the junction between the upper member 102 and the sole structure 104 and/or between various individual parts of the sole structure 104.
Conventional footwear structures 100 of the type illustrated in FIG. 1 include a tail or loop member 112 extending from a bottom mounting plate 114 to a heel portion 116 of the midsole structure 108. This heel portion 116 may constitute a structural support plate, such as a plastic support plate. The tail or loop member 112 may be formed from the same material(s) that make up the mounting plate 114, the outsole 110, and/or the midsole 108. This tail or loop member 112 enhances the midsole's resistance to shear forces (e.g., helps prevent columns 108a from toppling over under shear or lateral stresses) while not making the midsole 108 excessively stiff and/or otherwise adversely influencing its impact-attenuating characteristics. While effective in enhancing shear resistance, some designers and consumers do not favor the appearance of this additional tail or loop member 112.
Accordingly, it would be useful to provide a sole structure and/or a support element for use in a sole structure, e.g., for an article of footwear or other foot-receiving device product, that provides additional lateral support for the foot against shear forces (e.g., during a cutting or direction change action) and favorably impacts the structural integrity of the foot-receiving device product, e.g., at the sole structure/upper member interface and/or at an interface between various portions of the sole structure.